Question of the Ministry of Agriculture on agricultural genetic technology and biosafety

According to the website of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Agriculture released on March 15 a report titled “Answering Questions on Agricultural Genetic Technology and Biosafety by the Ministry of Agriculture”. The full text is as follows:

Agricultural Genetic Technology and Biosafety Questions and Answers

Agricultural Genetically Modified Organism Safety Management Office of the Ministry of Agriculture

Q. What is genetically modified technology?

A: Genes are DNA fragments with genetic information and are the basic genetic units that control traits. Genes pass genetic information to the next generation through replication, determine the characteristics of the organism by controlling protein expression, and pass on from generation to generation in the process of reproduction.

Transgenic technology is to transfer genes with known functional traits, such as high yield, stress resistance, pest resistance, and improved nutritional quality, through modern scientific and technological means to target organisms, so that recipient organisms can add new functions based on their original genetic characteristics. Characteristics, access to new varieties, production of new products. Transgenic phenomena are widespread in nature, such as cross-pollination and natural hybridization commonly found in higher plants.

Compared with traditional breeding techniques, transgenic technology has two advantages: First, traditional breeding techniques can generally only achieve gene transfer in the same species, and transgenic technology can break the barrier of natural hybridization between different species and expand the range of available genes. The second is that the traditional hybrid breeding technology operates on the entire genome, and it is impossible to accurately operate and select specific genes. However, genes that are manipulated and transferred by the transgenic technology have clear functions, and the latter representatives can now accurately predict.

Because the nature of both transgenic and traditional breeding technologies is genetically improved through the acquisition of good genes, the combination of genetically modified technology with traditional breeding techniques enables the development of new varieties with high resistance, high quality, high yield, and high efficiency, and greatly improves the efficiency of variety improvement. It can reduce the input of pesticides and fertilizers and has great potential in alleviating resource constraints, safeguarding food security, protecting the ecological environment, and expanding agricultural functions.

Q. How is the research and application of global transgenic technology?

A: Since the first industrialized application of genetically modified crops in 1996, research and industrial applications of global transgenic technology have developed rapidly. Developed countries have taken the development of genetically modified technology as a strategic priority to seize the commanding heights of the future science and technology and enhance the international competitiveness of agriculture. Developing countries also actively follow up and present the following development trends:

The first is to speed up the cultivation of varieties. With the development of life sciences, genomics, and informatics, the research on GM technology is advancing with each passing day, the research methods and equipment are continuously improving, and gene cloning technology is making rapid progress. Some new genes, new traits, and new products continue to emerge. Breeding presents intergenerational characteristics. At present, new varieties of global transgenic organisms have evolved from first-generation products such as insect-resistance and herbicide resistance to second-generation products that improve nutritional quality and yield, as well as industrial, pharmaceutical, and bioreactors. With the transformation of three generations of products, the compound traits of multi-gene aggregation are becoming the focus of research and application of transgenic technology.

Second, the scale of industrialization applications has rapidly expanded. As of the end of 2009, 25 countries around the world have approved the commercialization of 24 genetically modified crops. The area of ​​genetically modified crops represented by genetically modified soybeans, cotton, corn and rapeseed grew from 25.5 million mu in 1996 to 2 billion mu in 2009, an increase of 79 times in 14 years. The United States is still the largest growing country. In 2009, the planting area was 960 million mu; followed by Brazil, 321 million mu; Argentina, 319.5 million mu; India, 126 million mu; Canada, 123 million mu; China, 55.5 million mu; Paraguay, 33 million mu; South Africa, 31.5 million mu. It is worth mentioning that since 2000, the United States has approved six herbicide-tolerant and medicinal transgenic rice, and Iran has approved the commercial cultivation of a transgenic insect-resistant rice; four countries including Canada, Mexico, Australia, and Colombia have approved genetically modified rice. Rice imports are allowed.

The third is ecological and economic benefits are very significant. From 1996 to 2007, the cumulative income of global genetically modified crops reached 44 billion U.S. dollars, and cumulative use of pesticides was 359,000 tons. In 2008, the global market value of genetically modified products reached US$7.5 billion.